In the Garden

With the arrival of fall, days will soon be getting noticeably shorter and nighttime temperatures will begin to fall.

Now, as your trees begin responding to the changing conditions, you can take a number of proactive steps to care for them and help ensure they will be healthy and beautiful for years to come.

“It’s a good idea to think about the health of your trees in fall,” says certified arborist Jason Anderson, co-owner of Arborscapes LLC. Anderson conducts the training on trees for Master Gardeners in Henrico, Chesterfield, and Goochland/Powhatan.

He advises starting by taking a good, long look at your trees. Notice whether there are dead branches – which are much easier to identify while the leaves are still on the tree. Some dead branches are normal, but if more than roughly 10% -- the amount varies by tree type – is dead, you may want to consider talking to a certified arborist.

Look again when the leaves start to fall to make sure all your deciduous trees of the same species are dropping their leaves at roughly the same time. “If one is dropping its leaves earlier, it can be a sign that the tree is stressed,” says Anderson.

Checking trees of like species again next spring to see if they bud at roughly the same time can also help you tell if you have a tree that is stressed.

“An important thing to remember,” says Anderson, “particularly if you have a mature tree is that the tree may not show signs of distress for two or three years following the event that causes the stress.”

After looking up, look down to check the mulch around your trees.

“Mulching is one of the best things you can do for your trees,” says Anderson, “provided you do it properly.”

Mulch around trees should be no more than 2-3 inches deep and should never be piled up against tree bark at the base of the tree. Make the ring of mulch as large as you can up to the dripline or end of the branches of the tree.

“It’s important not to over mulch,” says Anderson. “And you need to remember that mulch goes over the roots, but not on the trunk of the tree.”

Mulch adds organic matter to the soil around the tree and helps keep soil temperatures warmer, allowing tree roots to continue to grow later into the fall. Once winter arrives, mulch helps reduce alternate freezing and thawing that heaves soil and can cause damage to young roots.

Fall and winter when trees are dormant are also ideal times to do any pruning that may be needed. “Structural and formative pruning on trees less than ten years old can help eliminate problems in the future,” explains Anderson. “And older trees may need deadwood removed to improve their structure and reduce liability during bad weather.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88, stopped at Richmond Raceway Aug. 8 in advance of the track’s NASCAR weekend in September. He was joined by five players from the Washington Redskins, who were in town for the team's training camp, which concluded Aug. 14. The day in Richmond gave Earnhardt and the Redskins players an opportunity to see how the athletes compete in their respective sports. > Read more.

The READ Center is a top-200 cause finalist in State Farm’s Neighborhood Assist program, making it eligible to earn a $25,000 grant to support adult literacy in the Richmond region. The 40 organizations from across the nation with the most votes will win grants.

The READ Center, based in Henrico, provides classroom instruction and one-to-one tutoring to adults with very low literacy. > Read more.

The host Glen Allen 14-year-old all-star baseball team won two of its first three games in pool play at the 14-year-old Babe Ruth World Series, which is it hosting at RF&P Stadium in Glen Allen. The team beat the Midwest Plains champions, 9-4, in its first game Aug. 10, then topped the Southwest champions, 7-3, Aug. 11 before dropping a 5-4 result to the Ohio Valley champions. > Read more.

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The Henrico County Community Author Showcase, a program that connects writers and readers in the community, will begin at 7 p.m. and continue on the second Monday and every Thursday of the month at various libraries. Lawrence Bolar will share his book “The Non-Negotiable: Educating African American Males K-12” at Libbie Mill Library. For details, visit http://www.henricolibrary.org/authors.
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